Steve McKnight - Money Magnet: How to Attract and Keep a Fortune That Counts

First published in 2023 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

Level 1, 155 Cremorne St, Richmond Vic 3121

Australian Carbon Offset Pty Ltd 2023

The moral rights of the author have been asserted

ISBN: 978-1-394-18454-5

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.

Cover design by Steve McKnight and Wiley

Cover and internal page image: Magnets: ilyast/Getty Images

Cover image: Gold Foil: janniwet/Shutterstock

P276: Army man image: Morrowind/Shutterstock

Disclaimer

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

This book contains factual information for educational purposes only. Nothing in this book constitutes the provision of financial product advice and no statements made in this book are intended to imply a recommendation or opinion about a financial product.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in making Money Magnet happen.

In particular, thanks to:

• My book buddy team: Sharon & Oliver, Shehan & Lisa, Kat & AJ, Benny, Ralph and the team at Wiley, especially Lucy and Chris, who went on the journey with me on this one;
• Jules, Cassie & Alyssafor their unwavering support and for making me feel significant; and
• My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christfrom whom I hope to hear the words Well done, good and faithful servant.

I drifted off the faith path in my adolescent years before returning to following Jesus as an adult after I became financially rich, but felt spiritually poor.

While that's a story for , my Christian faith adds an important context for the way I think and act around money and you'll note I make references to it and the Bible from time to time. While I do this unashamedly, I also respectfully acknowledge other beliefs, faiths and religions.

One hundred per cent of the royalties received from this book will be applied to supporting environmental revegetation endeavours, including my carbon sequestration project at Carriage Range in north-east Victoria where 300000 trees have been planted to establish a new permanent native forest. To find out more please visit: www.TreeChange.com.

Youll note that each chapter begins with a quote. I had initially included a variety of sayings and phrases that I found interesting or pertinent, but due to copyright and permission issues it became too difficult to include them. So, although it might outwardly appear a little indulgent, I have instead self-quoted short comments and sayings that Im renowned for and that others have affectionately coined Steveisms. I hope you find them interesting and helpful.

Steve McKnight holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from RMIT University and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He also has a Diploma of Financial Services. After a decade-long career in accounting he became a professional investor where he used his accounting and investing knowledge to purchase 130 properties in 3.5 years. In 2012 he established a managed investment fund that went on to purchase more than $100 million worth of commercial property. Through his books, training programs and websites McKnight has positively impacted the lives of millions of people. Steve recently turned his attention to land conservation and ecosystems management endeavours. He and his team have now planted more than 300000 trees on previously cleared land with the goal of establishing a new permanent carbon sink native forest. Steve is married and when not in Melbourne can usually be found walking among nature at Bindi.

Dear Reader,

Something very strange happened on the 13th of July 2006something that hadn't happened before, and hasn't happened since: I woke up from a dream sobbing, with tears streaming down my face.

In that dream I believe I encountered God. There was no booming or thunderous voice; He did not speak in words, but rather in thought. There was no burning bush; rather God appeared as an intense, swirling cloud of light, with shining stars in it, and radiant colours of dark blue, and purple, with flecks of gold and silver.

Word-for-word, here's what I wrote in my journal on what I experienced:

I woke up in awe, overwhelmed and excited to the point of tears. I could not speak nor move. It was the most intense feeling I have ever felt. I had an incredible sense that God wanted me to run a learning based program teaching people how to use their money effectively. Three times did this thought come into my mind; each time stronger.

Which brings us to today: to the here, and to the now.

I've had an unpleasant encounter with skin cancer, and it's reminded me that time is finite and that I needed to get busy doing what God asked me to doto write this book.

In it I've shared many important lessons and insights gleaned from the front line of personal wealth creation: from the things I've witnessed being a chartered accountant and advising a variety of clients spanning mums and dads, to multi-millionaire business owners, to my personal experience building a family fortune buying and selling hundreds of properties, and even professional funds management where I've looked after more than $100000000 of other people's money.

I don't know where you are on your faith journey, and I'm not sure how or why this book has crossed your path, but I do know this: it's no fluke. The same God that gave me that prophetic dream back in 2006 wants to use the knowledge and experience I have about how to make and attract a fortune that counts to reveal something deeply personal and important about the way you think, or act, around money.

What might that be? Let's find out.

Steve McKnight

PART ONE
INTRODUCTION

A better and brighter financial future is yours for the taking, and there's not a moment to lose!

By the time you've finished Part 1 you'll have cast a monetary vision for the rest of your life. All going well, that plan will empower you to live a life of financial freedom and a self-funded retirement where you won't have to rely on government handouts for survival.